(Photo by Sarah Pflug from Burst)

DIY is very popular these days, but when it comes to the real estate market, do you really want to do it yourself, or do you need the expertise of a professional?

Before you put yourself in a For Sale By Owner situation, keep some important considerations in mind: Time and Money. Selling with an agent can help save you both.

How Does Selling with an Agent Save Time?

Real estate agents have a wealth of knowledge about the real estate market that they can share with you to save time, effort, and frustration. The best ones are skilled in accurately determining the value of your home, marketing it, negotiating, and closing the sale to your advantage, and they will do everything necessary to help you through the home selling process.

Even when selling with an agent, selling a home can be a time-consuming and highly involved process. Choosing the right agent can relieve some of the hassles around this process by using their knowledge to walk you through each step — answering all of your questions and serving as your advocate along the way. 

First, they can help you actually prep to get your home on the market. Their assistance incorporates proven best practices in getting a home ready for the local market and how to make the best first impression on your listing. This can be as simple as telling you which repairs to make or even advising you on whether you should take down your personal art.

Working through all of this market prep on your own can be a waste of time and resources, sometimes even delaying the listing of your property by focusing on things that won’t change your bottom line. 

Once your home is on the market, a selling agent moves things along by market your home efficiently and effectively through their marketing channels. Real estate company websites, print and digital ads, social media, professional networks, and of course MLS and whisper listings are all important ways that real estate selling agents have to get your home sold quickly. The lack of these tools could cause your home to sit idly waiting for a buyer longer.

The selling agent also facilitates open houses or showings of your home to potential buyers. Without an agent, you are responsible for hosting any of these showings yourself, and sellers have said this is one of the most time-consuming parts of the sales process! 

Selling with an agent or without requires a lot of juggling — from price negotiations to documentation and legal responsibilities. If you want to see yourself, you’ll need to handle all of these balls in the air by yourself. But with an agent, you have someone working on your behalf to deal with the buyer, the buyer’s agent, the inspection company, the appraiser, etc.

And on your own, you’d need to spend a good deal of time reviewing documents and analyzing the fine print. With a selling agent, you have a shield and advisor to help you avoid potential missteps and legal concerns. 

How Does Selling with an Agent Save Money?

You may have heard that sellers end up paying the commission fees for both the buyer’s and seller’s agents (they are split), so you may be tempted to forego an agent to save money, but working with an agent is actually the best way to save!

You know, they say time is money, so all of the work that a selling agent does (as described above) is one major way that they save you financially, but working with an agent can save you actual dollars as well.

Real estate professionals have specific industry knowledge on what sells and how to maximize your profit. They’re experienced when it comes to looking at recent comparable homes that have sold in your area and understanding how best to price your property to sell most efficiently in your neighborhood. 

A seller’s agent maximizes your buying pool getting your home in front of more buyers who would be willing to pay more money — or even spark a bidding war. That’s right, using an agent to boost your exposure may help boost your sale price too.

Using a selling agent truly maximizes your return and minimizes your effort.

Selling your house on your own is a lot of work and a lot of worry. However, selling with an agent can be much easier. It can be quite time-consuming and requires an immense amount of knowledge and effort. Before you decide to sell your house yourself, contact LIST WITH ELIZABETH® to discuss your options and see how we can make sure you get the most out of the sale.